WHEELING AROUND THE WORLD

This past week we went to a factory that produces wheelchairs for our church both here in Indonesia and for export around the world.  It was interesting to see how the wheelchairs were made, how they are tested for quality control and the many places where they are shipped.  Dharma produces several kinds of wheelchairs for the humanitarian department of our church.  In addition to conventional wheelchairs, there are models for children with cerebral palsy and models built for non-smooth surfaces.  Within Indonesia we will issue approximately 1,500 wheelchairs of all types and sizes. The model built for use on non-smooth surfaces is called a "rough rider." This kind of wheelchair can be used over rough terrain.  We saw a man stand on the foot rests of the rough rider and it did not tip over.   This particular type of wheelchair is made in Indonesia and shipped all over the world (approximately 20 countries) for our church to distribute. We saw a list of the countries and the associated church logos in different languages they ship to on a regular basis  Several thousand are exported each year.  On the day we were there the company was sending a large shipment to Bolivia and also filling an order for Moldova.   I (Eileen) especially like the polyurethane cushions they put in the seat of our wheelchairs.  They are made of the same type of foam (MDI, for the guys at Huntsman) that goes into the seats of a Mercedes, BMW or Audi.  I was able to get one a few months ago and I use it on my chair at the office.  Now if I could only use it at church and on those long taxi rides . . .

NEVER HAD A WELCOME WITH OUR NAME ON IT BEFORE

PUTTING RUBBER ON THE WHEELS

ROUGH RIDERS ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE

LEADERS OF DHARMA WITH SEAT BACK WITH BOLIVIAN LOGO

IN WAREHOUSE-THE HATS WORK GREAT FOR A BAD HAIR DAY

WHEELCHAIR GOING TO MOLDOVA

PREPARING SEAT CUSHIONS FOR SHIPMENT

SEAT CUSHION HAVE PLACE FOR BOTTOM AND LEGS

STRESS TESTING ROUGH RIDER WHEELCHAIR

ROUGH RIDER WITHOUT BACK INSERT

FINISHED PRODUCT GOING TO BOLIVIA

1/3 OF LOGOS FOR DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

SHIPMENT ALL FOR BOLIVIA

REVENGE OF THE COLONEL

 This week has been a busy one for us.  On Monday Russell went to  inspect a future water project with one of the senior missionaries.  I (Eileen) stayed with some of the senior missionaries and one set of younger missionaries. I had heard this group of missionaries had been doing a weekly service project to clean up parks and other public places in Surabaya.  I thought this was a great thing for them to be doing.  We worked together on trying to make it into a bigger project that would involve the community and perhaps even continue on after the missionaries are transferred or go home.

On the way back to Surabaya Russell and another senior Elder stopped to get dinner. The other elder doesn’t tolerate Indonesian food well, so they stopped at a popular American food chain.  We then left to travel to Semarang.  While we were on the plane and then in the cab traveling to our hotel, I could tell Russell had been hit with a very severe case of food poisoning.  This was very disconcerting as we had about 10 hours of driving in the car the next day and a very important day ahead of us.  The miracle of it all was that before I left on this trip I had been prompted to bring some Cipro with me. Cipro is an antibiotic used to treat food poisoning.  I don’t usually bring it on the short trips we go on but this time I did.  The other wonderful thing is that we had another Elder from our church staying at our hotel.  Elder Smith from Malaysia was able to come give Russell a priesthood blessing.  Just as in the times of Jesus when Jesus healed the sick, Elder Smith was able to lay his hands on Russell’s head and give him a blessing.  Elder Smith blessed him that he would be able to perform his duties the next day.  Although  weak and exhausted, Russell was able to leave early with the rest of the group the next day.

Tuesday we attended a medical equipment handover ceremony in a city called Pati.  This is the home of the spiritual leader of a group called the NU (Nadlatul Ulama).  Our church donated some medical equipment to two hospitals in Pati and Demak.  One of the leaders of the NU,  Pak Said Aqil, talked about the origination of our church and praised the commitment of the Church to help the poor and the needy.  He quoted verses from the Qur’an and the Bible to support charitable actions and cooperation between organizations to provide assistance for those with serious needs. He said, “Luke 10:27 teaches that we should love our neighbor as ourselves and 1 Corinthians 13 defines charity and the need for it. 

Elder Subandriyo spoke on behalf of our church and shared a few thoughts at the ceremony.  Quoting Joseph Smith he said, “We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church or any . . . we are created equally in the eyes of God."  He also noted how, like Muslims who are fasting this month for Ramadan, members of our Church all over the world fast for two meals the first Sunday of each month. He explained that members contribute the money saved by fasting, and in many cases much more, which is donated to the Church for use in helping those who are less fortunate.  

After visiting Pati, we then traveled on to Rembang where we visited with some of the medical personnel there, and learned more about their hospital.

Thursday we visited a NGO partner that we will talk more about in the future.  This partner does several things, one of which is working with amputees.  Another of their projects that they have just started that we have not  been involved in is a school for children that come from low income families.  These are families that make less than $100/month/family.  The school has a van that picks up the children from a central location and brings the children to school.  The children then change their clothes at school into uniforms provided by the school.  In addition to teaching each child in subjects that children would normally be educated in, the children are taught etiquette, how to greet people, how to get rid of garbage, morals, instructed in computer, dance and music.  We observed the children greeting us politely, standing quietly in line, folding their clothes nicely to put in their lockers….these were children that were only 3-6 years old and had only been in school for 9 days.   The school was impeccably clean.  The cost to sponsor a child is $400/year.  The hope is that there will be enough funds that the school can expand and that the children can stay with the school each year as they grow older rather than go back to their neighborhood school.

I asked if I could go to the neighborhood where the children come from.  I was told it might be difficult to go into one of the homes because if the parents saw a bule (white person) then they might ask for money.  Instead I was taken into one of the teacher’s homes.  The children gather at her home before school and she reads to the children and also teaches the children on a basic computer before they are picked up by the school van.  Russell and I were very impressed by the efforts of this school.  We believe this generation of children will grow up with a new outlook on life if this school can continue on with the education of these    young ones.


Some pictures courtesy of Kent and Linda Smith (Public Relations missionaries for Malaysia and Indonesia)

SPIRITUAL LEADER OF NU

DR DWI AND DR. NUNUK TRYING OUT ONE OF OUR "DONATED" WHEELCHAIRS"

LOGO ON BACK OF WHEELCHAIR SIGNIFYING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NU AND OUR CHURCH

RUSSELL, SUBANDRIYO, SAID AQIL AFTER CEREMONY

EILEEN, SISTER SMITH, AND CFO OF REMBONG HOSPITAL

THREE NURSES, EILEEN AND SISTER SMITH IN REMBONG

SOCIAL WORKER FOR UNDERPRIVELEGED CHILDREN

CHILDREN LEARNING A SONG 

LINING UP TO GO HOME

DROP OFF POINT FOR HOME

HOME FOR ONE OF THE TEACHERS-SHE GATHERS THE CHILDREN HERE BEFORE SCHOOL AND TEACHES THEM BEFORE THEY GET PICKED UP FOR SCHOOL

SOCIAL WORKER, EILEEN, GRANDMA AND TEACHER IN HER HOME WHERE CHILDREN GATHER

THE CHILDREN USE THIS COMPUTER TO LEARN COMPUTER SKILLS

RUSSELL MISSING GRANDKIDS

THIS BABY WOULDN'T COME TO EILEEN BUT WOULD KISS HER HAND

RAMADAN FASTING AND FEASTING ON MUSIC

This week began the tradition of Ramadan in Indonesia.  We knew it was coming up but were caught unaware one evening as there was a mass exodus to leave the city and it took us 2 2l/2 hours to go the 3.5 miles from our office to our apartment because the traffic was so bad.

 Ramadan  is a holy tradition that I am sure we will learn more about as we are here longer.  It involves fasting from food and drink during daylight hours for a month.  We have been instructed that it would be very rude to eat or drink in public, and most food stands are closed down.  The hotel that we are staying in now starts serving breakfast at 3a.m. to accommodate those that are participating in Ramadan.  After dark the streets come alive and we can hear fireworks and festivities outside.

We are traveling in Surabaya this weekend and then will travel on to other locations afterwards. Russell had two presentations prepared this week for district conference. One was on the appropriate use of fast offerings, the other was on anti-pornography.  The powerpoint presentations were delivered effectively by the district presidency.

  It was a joy to meet with the senior missionaries in Surabaya  and to visit with the members in the Surabaya branch.  I (Eileen) was especially impressed with the children singing. It seems like Indonesians find great joy in singing.  When you sit in a church meeting there is an overwhelming spirit that comes upon you as you hear people sing with joy and gladness.  I visited the primary (which is the children's organization) and watched as the children prepared for the primary program which will be in the fall.  Each child focused on learning the music and singing with pleasure.  I have watched as the music director has taught the teenagers how to lead the music.  As a teenager I was given the opportunity to start playing the organ for our church meetings starting at age 15.  I haven't played for over 20 years because there have been so many accomplished musicians in our congregations that have been able to play.  I have found my services have been needed once again in Indonesia. I  have been grateful for the training at the piano I received growing up.  I look at the efforts that a few musicians are going to here in order to teach the people of Indonesia and think what a marvelous service they are doing.  There is a desire on the part of the people here to learn. They love music.  It is wonderful to see even the little children moving their arms correctly in time with the music.  To me I felt like I received a musical feast at church.

SISTERS KEPLER, SEITER, HEALY AND GROBERG

PRESIDENT GROBERG, ELDERS HEALY,  SEITER, AND KEPLER

JUNIOR MISSIONARIES PREPARING TO SING BY PUTTING ON MATCHING TIES

FAMILIES FROM SURABAYA

SINGING TIME WITH THE PRIMARY

PRACTICING FOR THE PRIMARY PROGRAM

FOCUSING VERY INTENTLY

THIS LITTLE GIRL SANG WITH THE ADULT  CHOIR THROUGHOUT THEIR PIECE

THIS LITTLE GIRL WAS SO ATTENTIVE

PRIMARY CHILDREN AND LEADERS

PRIMARY PRESIDENT

THIS SISTER TEACHES THE TEENAGERS TO LEAD THE MUSIC ALSO

NOT THE KIND OF BREAK YOU WANT

On Monday this week we had zone conference. A zone conference is where missionaries from a large area get together to be inspired, uplifted, and reminded of how we can be better missionaries.  This zone conference we had a special visit from our medical advisor from Hong Kong.  Dr. Heiner is an orthopedic surgeon who has taken time away from his practice to serve as a missionary with his wife for the South Asia area.  Little did they know how much their advice would be both heeded and needed.

The first week he and his wife were here one of the young sister missionaries fell off her bike and broke her wrist.  Elder Heiner was able to be consulted before surgery was done. The main purpose of his visit was to see several different hospitals, determining which would be appropriate for use by our missionaries.  During zone conference he and his wife gave an excellent presentation on the importance of exercise and good nutrition.  Young missionaries here live on a very limited budget.  Many eat off of the streets as it is cheap, quick and easy to obtain.  Even Russell buys lunch at a place that only costs 80 cents for a meal and he receives a large amount of food.  However, most of the food bought contains a large amount of  white rice with maybe a small amount of meat or veggies.  Fruit is abundant here, but takes some effort in preparing.  Eileen has come to love papaya with a little lime squeezed over it, and has discovered that papaya is one of the most nutritious fruits around.  Elder Heiner stressed the importance of exercise daily.  We seem to sit a lot, many hours in a car or taxi and many more at a desk.  Russell and I try to get out each morning and exercise.  We are fortunate to have convenient facilities where we live so that we can exercise several times/week.  When we are on the road traveling it is nearly impossible.

Early Wednesday morning I, (Eileen) was through with my walk and saw my friend Sister Beaman coming out of her apartment building.  If Sister Beaman walks it is usually in the gym and later in the day.  I invited her to walk outside and enjoy the beautiful gardens. We really have lovely plants and flowers around the complex. The only problem is that in some areas where I walk the bricks are quite uneven. This is not uncommon in Indonesia and you have to watch your step everywhere you go. On our second trip around the path Sister Beaman took a spill on the uneven pathway.  My heart sank as I saw her wrist. It immediately was swollen and discolored.  When I tried to help her up, she was unable to stand. A kind Indian man from the complex stayed with her while I ran to get her husband who had just finished his workout.   We took Sister Beaman to the hospital and it turned out she had a cracked patella (kneecap) and fractured wrist.  She ended up having surgery later that evening and having a plate put in her wrist.

It was ironic to compare the care that Sister Beaman received at VIP level with what I have heard for many years from Russell who had surgery 36 years ago in Indonesia. If you notice the price list below, there is a list of rooms that range anywhere from 150,000 Rupiah to 3 million Rupiah per day (~$15 to ~$300).  The ~$15/day includes 6 people in a room. Russell had hernia surgery here in a 3rd class room. There were approximately a dozen beds in his post-op room, each with a mosquito net. Russell's net had a hole in it, so he spent most of the nights trying to swat the mosquitos away. Not nearly the kind of room that Sister Beaman had to recover in.

Sept 13, 2012-  As it turned out the doctors Sister Beaman went to did not do the procedure correctly.  Sister Beaman had her wrist twisted and the screw poking out as you can see below.  When she went back into another doctor three weeks after the original surgery the other doctor told her that she needed to have a different kind of surgery immediately.  She is still wearing her brace (which weighs 5 pounds). She is anxious to get her arm healed and be able to function using both hands.

August-2013-Sister Beaman has returned home and had another surgery done by a hand specialist in the U.S. Hoping for better results this time.  It has been a long time trying to heal for one walk in the gardens.

ROOM PRICES (DIVIDE BY 9.4 TO GET DOLLARS) 

ELDER BEAMAN'S EUROPEAN DINNER CAME IN AND SMELLED DELICIOUS. IT WAS BROUGHT IN TO THEIR VIP ROOM WHILE SISTER BEAMAN WAS STILL FASTING FOR SURGERY, THE VIP ROOM CAME WITH IT'S OWN DINING ROOM TABLE TO SEAT FOUR

SISTER BEAMAN IN HER VIP ROOM WITH HER FASTING SIGN BEFORE SURGERY

ON THE WAY HOME WITH FLOWERS BROUGHT BY OFFICE STAFF

MORE THAN A LITTLE BRUISING AFTER SURGERY

OUTSIDE OUR APARTMENT

THE GARDENS OUTSIDE

OOPS THIS DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT

THIS THING WEIGHS 5 POUNDS

RUSSELL 35 YEARS AGO IN 3RD CLASS BEFORE HERNIA SURGERY